Talk is Cheap But It Can Still Buy a Long Stay at Club Fed These Days, Which Ultimately Reminds Rory of Another Frickin' Steve Earle Song

Rory read about the Federal arrest on February 23, 2006, of a so-called radical environmentalist, Rod Coronado, for demonstrating how to make a "destructive device." Basically, he held up a partially consumed jug of apple juice and told people you could fill it with gas, put a stick of incense in it as a fuse and cause a fire.
Ah, but Coronado has been convicted of interfering with a puma hunt in Arizona and did several years in Federal Prison for torching an animal research facility in Michigan. Coronado is an unapologetic Yaqui Indian and Earth Liberationist: i.e. someone the Feds want to nail as a "terrorist." So when he talks about flaming juice bottles, the Feds listen. And now, they apparently want to lock him up for years for holding up a jug of apple juice and talking about a a firebomb. First let Rory say this about that, to paraphrase one of the great firebombers of history, Tricky Dick "Napalm" Nixon: Rory condemns violence for any purpose or cause other than immediate personal self-defense or defense of another in accordance with the accepted law on that subject. That being said, it appears that the newest charges against Coronado are flaming feces. What's next? Is the little-known anarchist Kiplinger Suggs liable to lenghty incarceration if he holds up a dog turd and says, "Well, folks if this were a piece of depleted uranium and you attached a piece of explosive and blew it up, you'd have yourself a dirty bomb?" Apparently so, according to the new Anti-Terrorists. Why, it could make you downright reluctant to express yourself about the subject at all, even with the best of intentions. It's a lot easier to go after the talkers than the doers, though.



The statute being used to tie Coronado to the grate for his flogging was used to lock up a teen-aged webmaster by the name of Sherman Austin.
There has been a fair amount of excellent writing about the Austin case, albeit not enough, and Rory will provide links at the end of all this. But, radically summarized, Austin was sent to prison for being a web host who provided a link to a page that had bomb making instructions.
He provided the hosting space and server and somebody else posted a page with the bomb making instructions, which at least one commentator has pointed out were pathetically rudimentary. But Austin's site was the infamous Raisethefist anarchist site. It's free-wheeling, free-speechifying, indy-media style site dealing with what some would call "radical politics" and issues, such as corporate rape of land and people, police brutality, unjustified war, and other topics which the government would like to suppress. You can go there right now and post an article yourself. Federal Agents and various agents provacateurs do it regularly. So, again, Sherman was dubbed an "enemy of the people" and lost a year of his freedom (and much more due to harassment, surveillance, ransacking of his possessions and dwelling, etc.) for hosting a web site manifesting anarchy itself. There is a lot of crap spouted there, just like every other electronic public square. Repression only further radicalizes and escalates the situation, however, regardless of what one things of some of the posts. By the way, the site now carries the disclaimer shown here.

All of this makes Rory extremely curious about

this wacked out (phony Fed??????) bomb-making page?

Why no prosecution? Is it run by White Supremecists? Is it run by the Federal Government itself, seeking to entrap or create "terror" suspects. Is it posted to justify tagging people as suspicious for visiting or downloading? It sounds so fucked up and out there that one really suspects that the "webmaster" responsible for this one must be some cackling madman mindlessly spanking the thought monkey while making up this lameass bullshit. Still, isn't the best counter-approach to this sort of crap education, condemnation of the message, derisive laughter, etc? I mean look at this drivel:


Clearly, if Sherman and Rod can be locked up for their transgressions, he or she who downloads and communicates the contents of the manuals advertised here should be in equal jeopardy. Ah, it's all about the intent, some might say. Well, it sure as shit didn't seem to matter in Sherman's case, for example. He had no intent regarding the use of the crap that was posted. Probably was some frickin' hard-wankin' argument made by hair-splitting lawyers over hoary rules of construction (ironic word that, eh) concerning intent being manifest by a probability of knowledge that someone could likely use disseminated info about bombs for nefarious purposes. In other words, the law that fucked Sherman over and that is just beginning to display its engorged member behind Rod Coronado can be wielded totally arbitrarily. Does that make it unconsitutional? Rory would think so. But what Rory thinks don't mean jack squat. What will Alito and his boys say when Gonzo Gonzales tells 'em the statute is a necessary tool to protect the nation from terrists? That's what's gonna make the difference. Talk about terror. Can we trust the powers that be to use this law responsibly, rationally, fairly? Not according to what we are seeing every day now.

All of which makes me feel like hearing another Steve Earle song from The Revolution Starts Now. You know, the one with these words:

F the CC

I used to listen to the radio
And I don’t guess they’re listenin’ to me no more
They talk too much but that’s okay
I don’t understand a single word they say
Piss and moan about the immigrants
But don’t say nothin’ about the president
A democracy don’t work that way
I can say anything I wanna say

So fuck the FCC
Fuck the FBI
Fuck the CIA
Livin’ in the motherfuckin’ USA

People tell me that I’m paranoid
And I admit I’m gettin’ pretty nervous, boy
It just gets tougher everyday
To sit around and watch it while it slips away
Been called a traitor and a patriot
Call me anything you want to but
Just don’t forget your history
Dirty Lenny died so we could all be free

Is Steve Earle correct when he says "I can say anything I wanna say?" Used to be anything except that which causes a true clear and present danger of violence. That is apparently not the case right now. And is Steve under scrutiny for advocating sexual violence against a governmental agency as a result of this song? Oh, my God, and Rory posted the text of the song that could be construed as advocating mass sexual action against governmental agencies. Is there a statute yet providing for 20 years in Club Fed for advocating sexual intercourse with an agency engaged in counter-terrorism? After all, someone out there might read the lyrics and actually try to do it.

sherman austin on sherman austin and domestic spying

counterpunch on sherman austin

arizona indy media on Rod Coronado arrest

Oh Condi, Condi -- Has Steve Earle Seen this One? Why, it's Hitler-chic!

According to Desmond Morris: By conforming to the basic sexual restrictions that the culture has developed, it is possible to give clear signals that “I am not available for copulation," and yet, at the same time, to give other signals which say that “I am nevertheless very sexy.” Morris suggests this behavior is a way of reducing antagonistic feelings in others in the social group, particularly those of the opposite sex.

Frankly, Condi and her fashion statement completely confuse Rory. But, I was wondering why my level of antagonism wasn't higher. The subconscious workings of the peek-a-boo civil war style coat? Nah. Come on Rory, that's just wrong. Yeah, well, Steve Earle wrote a song that's on his Revolution Starts Now Album, remember? Oh yeah. Honestly, man, that song is pretty confusing to me, too. Although Steve is a frickin' hero of music.

By Steve Earle:

Condi, Condi

Oh Condi Condi beggin’ on my knees
Open up your heart and let me in wontcha please
Got no money but everybody knows
I love you Condi and I’ll never let you go
Sweet and dandy pretty as can be
You be the flower and I’ll be the bumble bee
Oh she loves me oops she loves me not
People say you’re cold but I think you’re hot

Oh, Condi, Condi
Oh, Condi, Condi

Oh Condi, Condi I’m talkin’ to you girl
What’s it gonna hurt come on give me a whirl
Shake your body now let me see you go
One time for me Oh Condi I love you so
Skank for me Condi show me what you got
They say you’re too uptight I say you’re not
Dance around me spinnin’ like a top
Oh Condi Condi Condi don’t ever stop

Oh Condi Condi Can’t you hear me call
I’m standin’ in the street outside your garden wall
Pocketful of money belly full of wine
Condi in my heart and romance on my mind
Listen to me Condi don’t be afraid
I come here tonight to chase your blues away
I’ll never hurt you I’ll treat you right
Oh Condaleeza won’t you come out tonight

Pretty little Condi precious as can be
Bet you never had another lover like me

Rory Plays with Colored Pencils #1

Leon Kuhn: Images Worth Examining

While reeling half-blind through dark internet back-alleys surrounded by comforting mind-fog looking for Iraq war protest songs I spied a door slightly ajar, a light within. I entered the Peace Not War site and found protest song compilations. But I was quickly distracted by an invitation into a gallery filled with an excellent anti-bush, anti-war, anti-blair poster collection. The above image by Leon Kuhn, found there with the work of others, well, it captured my brain. Synaptic success it was, man. So disturbing, yet so truthful. Rory couldn't help but exclaim "Fuckin' A!" One thing led to another. I checked out Leon's site and found visual cortex treasure. I recommend you visit. He's a talented artist and says a lot without words. And he's got a Brit perspective which adds a dash of novelty from my POV. So, Rory contacts Leon for permission to post his images. Leon responds with excellent advice of general application: "Go on then!" So that's what Rory does.
Rock on Leon.

Leon Kuhn's Art

Peace Not War Gallery

United Arab Emirates: The Land of the Camel Jockey (Camel Jockey: a child slave who is abused, starved, and forced to ride camels for entertainment)

Rory sez: the term "Camel Jockey" is no joke, no racist epithet. It's a reference to form of slavery and child abuse that has provided great entertainment to the ruling class in United Arab Emirates. This practice is so vile that it helped get Condi's State Department posse's condemnatory Tier 3 rating for our new ports-runnin'-partners.
Tier 3 is reserved for countries "whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and are not making significant efforts to do so.”
Here's what the State Department had to say about camel jockeys in a report issued in 2005:

"A number of reliable sources confirm that young boys were still being used as camel jockeys during the year. According to NGO and press reports, including one in-depth documentary by HBO's "Real Sports" program which aired in October, many boys remained subject to extremely harsh living and working conditions that, at times, led to serious injuries and death.The program alleged that not only were very young boys still being used as camel jockeys, but that these boys were subjected to physical abuse, including sexual abuse, by their supervisors and trainers.
While there is no evidence that the camel farm owners/employers participated personally in these abuses, there is likewise no evidence that the camel farm owners and employers took any measures to prevent or stop the abuse occurring on their farms.
Further reports accused some supervisors of subjecting boys to malnutrition. One child was killed in September after falling from a camel during a race, and many more children were reportedly injured from camel racing.
The HBO television documentary highlighted the efforts by the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust International (ABWTI), a Pakistan-based human rights NGO, which has helped rescue almost 400 children from farms and tracks within the country over the past year."

Supposedly, under international pressure, the UAE has announced new rules for age and weight limits on camel jockeys, but rights observers will believe it when they see it. Human rights watch says:

"Large numbers of young boys are annually trafficked to the UAE to be trained as camel jockeys, and in 2005 the UAE government estimated the number of children working as camel jockeys to be between 1,200 and 2,700; international organizations have put the numbers much higher, at between five thousand and six thousand.Responding to the international criticism, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan issued a federal decree in July 2005 requiring that all camel jockeys must be eighteen years of age or older. The law stipulated that violators will be jailed for up to three years and/or fined a minimum of Dh50,000 (U.S.$13,600). The government’s ability to institute mechanisms of enforcement will be tested in the coming year."

Human Rights Watch on UAE

Past claims of Camel Jockey reform have been pure camelshit. As Anti-Slavery International notes: They sent a photographer to the United Arab Emirates to photograph children racing and training in the Gulf state.


The photographs bely the UAE rulers' repeated statements that this practice had been stopped. The Government announced that using children under 15 and lighter than 45 kilograms to race camels would be banned from 1 September 2002 and offenders punished. Guess what, folks? Didn't happen. Anti-slavery International has a gallery of photos taken in Dubai showing little camel jockeys at work a couple years after the announcement.

Anti-slavery International

What is it like to be a camel jockey in UAE? Here's one kid's description:
“They used to wake us at two or three in the morning. If we didn’t get up or they thought we were lazy they would beat us with sticks,” he said. “We had to clean up the camel dung with our hands.”

The boys were given brackish water and fed little more than bread or biscuits to keep their weight down. Any considered to have become too heavy would have weights tied to their backs and be made to run under the desert sun.

Serial offenders would be hung by their wrists from chains. Many claim that they were sexually abused by the trainers.

Race days were the worst. As the camels thundered around the track at up to 40mph, riders were often knocked to the ground and trampled underfoot.

Another boy, Zulfiqar, 10, said he had seen several riders break their arms or necks or die from their injuries. When the choice is between tending a thoroughbred camel worth hundreds of thousands of pounds or a boy bought for a few thousand, the animals get priority. “They always look after the camels first,” he said.

One child's words

Rory sez: sounds pretty much like a prep school for life at Guantanamo. We probably should classify our own country as Tier 3 and cut off humanitarian aid here in the U.S. Wait, Bush did cut off humanitarian aid to the U.S! Sonofabitch is sanctioning himself for human rights violations! Now I get it. That explains his budget!

Human rights lawyer and activist Ansar Burney, of Pakistan, has apparently done more than any one person or government to help on this issue. The man sounds like a real hero. I mean a REAL hero. According to his organization's web site, UAE has made strides against the problem of underage camel racing.

Burney's site

Okay, leaving aside the question of child slavery in the Camel Racing industry (and check out what Burney says about Saudi Arabia in this regard), how is the United Arab Emirates when it comes to those democratic values about which Bush blows so much smoke up our asses that we're in danger of becoming airborne human hot-air balloons? Well the short answer is that UAE sucks pretty horribly in this regard as noted in the table at the top of this post.

Here's a little more detail on those items, which Rory culled from the U.S. State Department's own Country Reports on Human Rights Practices:

There are no political organizations, political parties, independent human rights groups, or trade unions.

Internet access, which was open to public use with an estimated 1.11 million users, was provided through a state-owned monopoly, Etisalat. A proxy server blocked material regarded as pornographic, violent, morally offensive, or promoting radical Islamic ideologies, as well as anti-government sites. The proxy server occasionally blocked individual news stories on news websites such as CNN. The Etisalat proxy server provides access to AOL email but blocks other features that enable users to chat online, and (according to Etisalat) those that facilitate hacking.The Internet monopoly solicits suggestions from users regarding "objectionable" sites, and at times the Government responds by briefly blocking some politically oriented sites, which are sometimes later unblocked. Etisalat also blocks commercial "voice-chat" sites on the Internet.

The Government prohibits Muslims from converting to other religions. Although non-Muslims in the country are free to practice their religion, they are subject to criminal prosecution, imprisonment, and deportation if found proselytizing or distributing religious literature to Muslims.

Unrestricted foreign travel and emigration is permitted for male citizens, except those involved in legal disputes under adjudication. Custom dictates that a husband can bar his wife, minor children, and adult unmarried daughters from leaving the country by taking custody of their passports.


Fornication is a crime. The Government may imprison and deport noncitizen women if they bear children out of wedlock. In the event that a court sentences a woman to prison for such an offense, local authorities, at the request of the prisoner, may hold the newborn children in a special area within the prison or place them with a relative. In rare cases, children are held in other facilities until the mother's release from prison.

In practice, trafficking in women and girls used as prostitutes and domestic servants, men used as servants, laborers, and unskilled workers, and very young boys used as camel jockeys, continued to be serious problems. The Government has pledged and taken some measures of limited effectiveness against these practices.

Both civil and Shari'a law criminalize homosexual activity.

1995, the country has been suspended from the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) insurance programs because of the Government's non-compliance with some internationally recognized worker rights standards.

A de facto ban dating from 2002 prohibiting 10 prominent intellectuals from publishing opinion pieces in the country's Arabic and English language media continued.

Muslim women are forbidden to marry non-Muslims. In such cases, both parties can be arrested and tried.

There are no democratically elected institutions or political parties.

Source of the above:

Dept. of State Document

But nobody in the Hallibusncheney administration gives a Shrew's sphincter about any of this. As several have pointed out, like

blogslut

and

semi-sane madwoman

this dildo's old company stands to profit handsomely from giving up control of U.S. ports to The Land of the Camel Jockeys: Secretary of the Hallibusncheney treasury, John Snowjob.


Rory declined to apologize.

Billy Ray: A Chimp Accused

Ben's note: Rory has been telling me bits and pieces of this damn story for years now intertwined with other vines in his overgrown memoir garden. Time for him to get on with the story. It's a true one. But he takes liberties with the truth whenever he damn well pleases, in my opinion. So, a good bout of dolphin waxing would be more productive than trying to sort out the bits that didn't happen from the bits that did. Bottom line: If Oprah were to call Rory a liar, he wouldn't give a shrew's scrotum. In fact, he'd kinda like it, I think.

Gonna try to get you a bit of Rory's rambles on Billy Ray maybe once a week 'til it's told. I'm sure he'll have trouble staying on point, wanna tell other stories, post on what runs in front of his nose, but we're gonna try. -- Ben

'Fuckin' A." -- Rory

Billy Ray: A Chimp Accused (as told by Rory Shock) -- Part 1

A chimpanzee in Windtown, Kansas, killed her owner. Her name was Billy Ray and she was thought by the public to be a male. She made her living doing commercials for car dealer Cal Stokes (of he’s stokin'-up-a-deal-for-real fame) on television and in person, usually wearing a cowboy hat and a bright yellow windowpane suit with a bolo tie.

I’d seen Billy Ray in her yellow plaid suit, ten gallon hat, and bolo, on late night commercials. Every conceivable inane simian joke was used, every hackneyed human-concocted cliched chimp behavior mindlessly repeated. Like the one where Billy Ray was smoking a cigarette and Cal Stokes kept telling her to put it out before she got in the car, because Cal kept his “veehickels” smoke free. Seeing no evil, Billy Ray held her hands over her eyes when Cal approached a car with a machete to “slash” prices on a window sticker. She smiled an ape smile, with that only-chimps-have-it lip control, when Cal said “Nobody’s service is friendlier than ours.” She held her hands over her ears, hearing no evil, when Cal said he would give away any car on the lot if there was another car dealer with a friendlier Chimp in Windtown. She did a forward roll when prices were “tumbling.” She held her hands over her mouth, speaking no evil, when Cal asked her who was the best dealer in the Midwest. Cal chided her for “monkeying around,” when she was no more a monkey and no less an ape than he. But she wrote her own script and avoided cliche when she snatched him bald one night, tearing his scalp off with the swipe of one mighty hand. She pulled his right index and middle fingers off. They were found on the kitchen floor. She broke his neck by throwing him across the room by the head. Even an average-sized female chimp like Billy Ray is as strong as a 750-pound man made of muscle.

I got to represent Billy Ray because I’d been the lawyer for a local university student, Molly Chandler, who had freed the rats from the laboratory breeding ranch up on campus. Molly was surprised to meet up with a lawyer who had read Animal Liberation by Peter Singer. I told her that since I had seen Roger Fouts on 20/20 with Hugh Downs meeting his old chimp friend Bouie after so many years and Bouie remembered his nickname in American Sign Language, I’d been thinkin about how fucked up it is that chimps, many of whom served honorably in the space program and other scientific enterprises, face torture, both physical and psychological, despite being neither enemy combatants nor criminals. I mentioned some of my favorite books, like Jane Goodall’s In the Shadow of Man, DeWaal’s Peacemaking Among Primates, The Great Ape Project, and Visions of Caliban. I told her that Jane Goodall was one of my heroes, actually the only one I could think of at that moment. She told me that she had met Jane Goodall after a speech and had an autographed copy of Through a Window. Anyway, she trusted me and I’d kept her out of jail on the rat bit. She had a patron that wanted to pay fees and expenses to keep them from executing Billy Ray at all, let alone without due process of law. So she called me. She told me that Billy Ray was being held without bail, so to speak, in an old cage at the Windtown Zoo. The cage had actually been the home of a long-suffering polar bear who expired during a Kansas heat wave, I think is what I was told. The government’s plan was to give Billy Ray a lethal injection. So we had to act quickly. I became her lawyer.

I got a temporary injunction that gave us 10 days to file briefs and have a hearing for an extension. In the meantime, I learned that the case had been assigned to a Judge by the name of Alan Wrench. I shit you not. I’d never had any dealings with him before, so I called a friend who had. Friend of the name Mendicant Friar. Again, I shit you not. I recall that conversation so clearly.

So, I’d told Mendi to whom the case was assigned. He said, “Brother, that Judge is a fucking Pentecostal. He comes from southwestern Missouri.”

“Meth labs in beatup trailers and holy rollers,” I responded. We all have our unfair biases and preconceptions. That’s what makes us human. Actually I pretty much can’t say those things about “that’s what makes us human” too much anymore after the Billy Ray case without thinking it’s bullshit.

“Yep. Seems his father was a minister or pastor or whatever the fuck they call their preachers.”

[Ben's note: Rory is about to say words that show a lack of respect for something venerated by others: a particular religion. I told him that we were gonna lose our Pentecostal readership. He laughed and slapped his thigh at that one. And I said to him, “probably, if and when Billy Ray ever comes out in print, there’ll be a burnin’ party.” He responded like he often says but doesn’t entirely mean, “Fuckit. I don’t care.” Actually, he seemed quite pleased at the burning book vision.]

“Mendi, I looked into this Pentecostal thing back when John Asscrapt became Attorney General, more or less just out of curiosity, because he was one. I learned that those are the fuckers that have Lord seizures, jabber nonsense, speak in tongues, whatever.
What the fuck is the theory there? The words of god are gibberish? God loves morons? Man, they don’t dance. They don’t drink. They think gay people are evil. Generally, they love the death penalty and would happily give it to you if you’re a doctor who removed a thimbleful of nonsentient flesh from a 13 year-old fucked by Uncle Biff.”

“Yeah, Rory, and it doesn’t matter what you do all life long. You can rape, cornhole babies, steal widow’s life savings, cut throats, beat your wife black and blue, torch your friend’s double-wide, waste a cop, and publicly unrinate on a daily basis and still be forgiven and walk into heaven happy, pampered, eternally blissful. Even if you spend a life trying to alleviate pain instead of spreading it, if you don’t accept Jesus into your life by the time you take your last breath you go to some fucking cliched version of hell where there is brimstone and fire and all sorts of shit like that.”

“Well, Mendi, let me guess what they think about animals.”

“Book of fuckin’ Genesis.”

“That’d be the God-put-em-here-for-us-to-do-whatever-the-fuck-we-want-with-the-story. Hunt, eat, skin, wear, and I suppose in modern times, experiment upon. But where the fuck do they stand on bestiality?”

“That’s pretty much ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

“So, you can fuck chickens all your life long as long as you accept Jesus before you die. ... that certainly stands to reason if you can fuck children and still go to heaven, then you ought to be able to fuck, pluck, roast and eat fowl and enter the white cloud Hollywood biblical land of milk and honey. So, anyway, you’re not gonna believe this Mendi, I’ve got case in front of him involving whether a chimpanzee is legally a person.”

“Fuck, you’ve got that case? I saw something about it on the news.”

“I’m a little concerned about his views on evolution and genetics.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Mendi, I assume he’s a fucking creationist. So, what’s he gonna make outta the fact that we’ve got almost 99 percent of the same DNA as chimps?”

“Maybe that 99% just won’t do. God put the chimp here as a lesson to man. As an advertising mascot for the depilation industry, which is still growing. As an amusement because they do seem similar. Or maybe god put ‘em here for experimentation and 99% the same DNA makes them excellent research subjects for human diseases? Somethin’ like that.”

“Yeah.”

After we hung up, I thought to myself, Pentecostal, hmm. Guess I better learn up real good on them uns. Know thine enemy. Understand your adversary. Knowledge is power. Face the source of you anxiety. Like that. so I do what you do nowadays. I get on the web.

Before too long, I am growing disturbed. Among other things I find this explanation of the significance of the holy jabber known as speaking in tongues -- glossolia -- in the official doctrine of the United Pentecostal Church:

“The tongue provides the greatest expressions of the human spirit. We humans are spiritual and emotional beings, and as such we must give expression to our emotions. The ability and power to coordinate thought and tongue into intelligent speech is one of our highest prerogatives, elevating us above the beasts of the field. This ability makes us superior to the rest of God's creation on earth, and it is the most distinguishing feature of our being.

The tongue becomes the vehicle of expression for the spirit.
All of the emotions--such as love, hate, anger, sorrow, joy, happiness, relief, serenity--are communicated through the tongue. The tongue is the gate way to the heart, feelings, attitudes, and spirit.”

Holy shit! I think to myself, here’s one argument I’m gonna hear from the other side, I’ll bet. Chimps don’t “coordinate thought and tongue into intelligent speech.” What about humans who don’t do this, of which there are plenty, I wonder. Are sign-language users unholy, nonpersons under this frickin' Pentecostalism? Can you speak in tongues with your fingers? Can a chimp speak in tongues? What if I can convince the Judge that Chimp chatter is really just God taking control of the Chimp tongue? Maybe I can find an expert who will testify that Chimp chatter can be glossolia. And here it is again this pervasive human fucking arrogance that we are “superior to the rest of God’s creation on earth.” Well superior in the sense that we can dominate any creature and kill any creature, anyway. My head is already spinning. But then I’m a little bit happy, because I realize that I have another overgrown trail of learning to hack through: I must study Chimp language experiments. Shit, I must go even further. I must try to communicate with my client. I must get to know her. Who is she? And, needless to say, I must find out why she killed Cal.

Juxtapositions: When Words Have No Meaning and Silence Is a Wink at Tyranny and Repression--Bush and Saudi Arabia

This rory drawing deals with a lot of things, perhaps revealing some of my feelings about repression and the very fucked up industry built around infliction of destruction and suffering in the world today, as epitomized by Hallibushcheney Inc. The hypocrisy of Hallibushcheney "liberating" Iraq from tyranny while remaining asshole buddies with the House of Saud makes Rory want to scream. Instead of screaming, however, sometimes Rory draws. But then lo and behold, it seems like the drawings sometimes turn into silent frickin' screams:

link to gallery with a few more of rory's pieces priced absurdly high to discourage anyone entertaining thoughts of purchase and the opportunity to see the drawing a little better

Okay, rory, so much for your touchy-feeliness, much as it pleasures you. Friends, now for the set-up for the juxtapositions.
First the Statement of the President of the United States (this is Fact ... well, the fact is he said it and it is proudly displayed on the real White House Web site ... otherwise it is mostly fiction worthy of a tongue lashing on Oprah if not a real flogging in Saudi Arabia):

"President's Statement on United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

"On United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the United States reaffirms its commitment to the worldwide elimination of torture. Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right, and we are committed to building a world where human rights are respected and protected by the rule of law.

The United States is continuing to work to expand freedom and democracy throughout the world. We will seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, and we will help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way. Throughout the world, there are many who have been seeking to have their voices heard, to stand up for their right to freedom, and to break the chains of tyranny. Too many of those courageous women and men are paying a terrible price for their brave acts of dissent. Many have been detained, arrested, thrown in prison, and subjected to torture by regimes that fail to understand that their habits of control will not serve them well in the long-term. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies. All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: The United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you."

End of President's statement.

Juxtapositions:









A sampling of those whose oppression W ignores and whose oppressors he excuses despite his wankerous blather to the contrary:

A Saudi court sentenced a high school chemistry teacher to more than three years in prison and 750 lashes for talking to his pupils about his views on a number of current topics, such as Christianity, Judaism and the causes of terrorism.

teacher to be flogged

Based on one raid of a club, more than 100 men were sentenced to imprisonment and flogging for "acting like women." Some were sentenced to as many as 2000 lashs.

flogging for suspected homosexuality

The Saudi interior minister said women would not be allowed to vote in the country's municipal elections starting in February 2005. In response to a question about women's getting the vote, Prince Nayef bin Sultan said simply: "I don't think that women's participation is possible."

Women Vote?

A man was sentenced to having his eye gouged out for brawling.

eye gouging

Amnesty International sheds some light on the land of the hijackers, almost making one wonder whether hand-holding W idealizes the justice system they have:

Fear and secrecy permeate every aspect of the state in Saudi Arabia.
The fear is maintained by:
• the constant risk of arbitrary arrest;
• harsh punishments for anyone who dares to criticize official policies;
• the mutawa’een (religious police) who have, in practice, unfettered powers to harass and detain anyone they believe has breached the strict moral codes;
• the knowledge that anyone who is arrested will be denied access to their family, to a lawyer and to medical assistance, and might be tortured;
• a range of punishments, from long prison sentences to amputation, flogging and beheading, after trials that make a mockery of justice.

Bush Bullshits the Nation Again With Health Savings Account Scam: Health Care Exec. Rakes in $58,000,000 Heading Company Using the Scam per AFL-CIO

Bush in his own words; "First, it is a part of our drive to make health care more consumer-driven. There's two components to a health savings account; one is low-cost catastrophic insurance coverage, and a tax-free health savings account. Those are the two components of what I'm talking about. Catastrophic coverage protects you and the family in the event of devastating medical illness -- if you're really sick, a catastrophic plan kicks in."

Allow Rory to raise a couple of points: "Low-cost" for whom? The insurance companies of course. This Health Savings Account (HSA) shit is high-deductible coverage. Some deductibles may be as high as $10,000, according to the AFL-CIO. The "consumer" also known as "the fuckee" by the joint Insurance Industry/bushcheneygovernment/fascist/rapethepeople task force (IIBFRTF) pays the deductible out of his so-called health savings account. And it ain't free. The fuckee still gets to pay a premium.


The HSA allows a variety of financial industry profiteers to get their hooks into yet more of the suffering workers' money as they profit from holding it, investing it, etc. It's only tax free so long as it stays in the account and is used to pay the insurance companies their extortionate deductibles when the time comes or if it's used for routine medical care What a deal. "Consumer driven?" How about "consumer driven to despair" ... that'll be the recurring headline.

So, here's an example of how it will work. Joe and Josephine low wage workers are a little short of money for food and rent most months. Thus, they have a balance of $12.00 in their HSA, after 2 years. Their deductible for "catastrophe" is $10,000. In the meantime, they don't have what the scammers define as a "catastrophe" just some relatively serious health problems, so they pay all their medical bills out of pocket, with a big $12.00 infusion of cash from the HSA. In addition let's not forget that they pay an exorbitant premium for their catastrophic medical coverage. Wow, President Bush, thanks a fuckin' lot. Thank god people are gonna have insurance coverage.

To make matters even worse, Fly-On-the-Wall was privy to administration/insurance co. discussions about a new scam involving what will be called "Consumer-Driven-Custom-Coverage." For example, one could elect thorax-only coverage with a high dedcutible for a premium of $312.00 per month.
The president is already preparing a speech on this one planned for McDonald's Headquarters next month. From his speech: "You might have a -- er a heart problem --- you know like the Vice President does, but you've got a good brain, maybe good feet and all, so you might elect to just have thorass, thoraxe, er chest-type coverage with a high-deductible. This type of flexibility is what is needed to keep the industry strong in a changing economy ... to allow them to bring coverage to more and more people. Or maybe you've got something wrong with a colon too. Thorass and colon. Could have problems with both. Consumer driven option right here too. Add a colon rider. Puts the control in the consumer. You customize the plan. Innovation. That'll keep us strong. Ahead of terrists. And nations that don't innovate."

Well the truth of the matter is, once again the Insurance Industry/bushcheney is asking the people who can afford it least to take it hard, painfully, and sans lube, right up the ass. More and more CEO's are gonna be making $58,000,000 or more and more and more people are gonna become poor. And more and more people are gonna die without good medical care sooner and more painfully than they have to. And in the meantime, will we be driven to the brink of madness by the pathological lies and heavy duty smoke force-blown up our collective ass by our executive branch on almost every topic they yap about? For the truth and some real facts about this HSA horseshit wrtten in a no-bullshit way, Rory Recommends:

afl-cio spells out the facts and truth about HSAs

Finally, about that dude in the headline: In 2004, William W. McGuire raked in $58,784,102 in total compensation including stock option grants from United Health Group Inc. From previous years' stock option grants in United Health Group Inc. he cashed out $114,552,832. He has another $139,598,622 in unexercised stock options from previous years. United Health Group uses the Health Savings Account scam as it proudly describes on its web site.

Indeed, they list it prominently on the page describing their "innovations." In their own proud, consumer-hosing words they describe their activities as fuckor, in this field:

"UnitedHealth Group launches iPlan® HSA, a product that integrates a high-deductible health plan with a health savings account, for employer groups. The product is offered through the company's UnitedHealthcare and Uniprise businesses. Golden Rule, a subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare, offers HSAs to individuals."

United Health Care's We're Proud to Think of New Ways to Make Money -- Oh and incidentally we are in the healthcare business self-congratulatory corporate blather

Well friends, while we were asleep the golden rulers were thinking of new ways to hose us. Another one in the form of the HSA floats to the surface of Bush's recent oratory like a large, rank turd. And Rory has been forced to stifle the gag reflex and examine it. May this scam go down the great cosmic shitter of justice before it kills too many undeserving people.

Department of Justice Will Examine Itself

Today's New York Times reported that the Justice Department's Office of Professional responsibility has begun to investigate the Justice Department's Domestic Spying Program, apparently in reponse to a request for an investigation from four Congressional Democrats, including New York's Maurice D. Hinchley. The above diagram represents the domestic spying program review previously described by Alberto "Gonzo" Gonzales in his report that consists of 43 pages of legalese-spattered verbal monkey spanking. Now, the Department of Justice is further investigating itself, but the investigation is limited, according to the Times article, to whether the lawyers involved "complied with their professional obligations," not whether the domestic spying program is legal. I might be going out on a limb here, but I'm pretty sure this one is gonna clear them. "After extensive review, we have found no problemo ... and in the meantime, no need to investigate, because there is an investigation." The questions are: An investigation of what? And by whom? Well, the answer is in the next graphic.

In addition to the 4 'roo review specified previously by Gonzo and diagrammed above, there will be an additional level of self-scrutiny by the Department of Justice:

Times DOJ Self-Palpitation Article

wikipedia on the term "kangaroo court"

The Press Conference Cheney Almost Gave On the Whittington Shooting: "I thought he was a dang Javelina"

At a short-notice press conference almost given today, Vice President Dick Cheney was to have "disclosed" that he shot Harry Whittington with what he thought was a well placed shot at a javelina. The javelina excuse had been the favorite of advisors until this morning and they had convinced Cheney to use it. But Cheney vetoed it and elected to speak on the bushcheneygovernment channel, Fox News, basically sticking with the far-fetched Katharine Armstrong scenario. Here's how it would have gone had he opted for the javelina story:

“First, let me thank President Bush, Secretary Rumsfeld, Katharine Armstrong and the American people for their support during this difficult time. I would like to particularly single out Katharine for thanks. She has stepped up in my defense based upon her best observations about what was a dynamic, fast-breaking, essentially a combat situation, er. I would also like to thank her for her most recent kind words of praise, calling me “an excellent conscientious shot.” She and others who have supported me have done so out of a sense of patriotism and loyalty. They are the “for us” folks in the “for us or against us” equation. That being said, nobody can know what was in my mind except me.
Simply stated, I thought Harry was a javelina. And as Katharine said, I “peppered him pretty good.”

[Note from Rory: Whittiington appears at his most javelina-like at the left]

"The javelina is a vicious, unpredictible wild hog. They have little fear of humans. They are a menace to lawns, golf courses and sprinkler systems. They strike at values we hold dear relating to private property and lawn maintenence. Down in Texas there are several casualties every year in human/javelina combat situations. This is knowledge that every hunter and outdoorsperson carries in the back of their mind when they head out into the field down there. I saw motion out of the corner of my eye. I thought it was a javelina coming for us. Mind you, I had the safety not only of myself, but of the entire hunting party in mind. I had to react. I wheeled and fired what I thought was a well-placed shot into the vital head and neck area of the javelina. I knew it was only bird shot, but I figured there was a pretty good chance I could deter a charge, maybe blind the thing so we could take it out with a barrage, rocks, knives, whatever it would take. Turned out it was Harry Whittington. This was a friendly fire incident.

"I must say, this makes me appreciate the job done by our service people in Iraq even more profoundly. How do they know whether that vehicle approaching a check point is a suicide bomber? They have to make a split second judgment on whether to fire. And we shouldn’t second guess them. So please please don’t second guess me, folks.

"I know the press and the blogsters, like this Neil Shakespeare depicting me like some sort of twisted criminal on the lam as just one example, are having a lot of fun with this. Some have called such behavior on the part of blogsters traitorous or even seditious. I'm not sure about that, but do remind people of what the president said recently, “with freedom comes responsibility.” I am taking responsibility for shooting Harry. And if you think this is hard on Harry, well, let me tell you, I go over and over this scenario in my mind replaying it, wondering if there was a way to avoid it. And I conclude that if the same situation came up again, I wouldn’t hesitate to take the shot. But I’ll tell you what, if there were a way for me to take those pellets for Harry, I’d gladly do it. And I want the American people to know, each and every one of you, whatever the threat out there, I stand ready to cut it down to protect you, whether it’s a javelina, a swan with flu, or a suicide bomber. God Bless America."

Cheney was to then take no questions.

Commentary: The “javelina excuse” for hunting accidents is common knowledge among hunters in Texas. To Rory’s knowledge, Cheney would have been the first to use it to excuse a Quail hunting "accident."
The javelina excuse is the redneck hunter’s equivalent of the throw-down weapon ploy used by a few corrupt cops on TV who shoot unarmed civilians.

There are many mistaken javelina and hog shootings of humans in Texas every year. Sadly only a few are officially reported. Some sources put the numbers in the hundreds annually. Unless the injury is very serious, many do not even seek medical help. The previous post quotes a fair number of recent officially reported incidents. Perhaps one of the most poignant and a potential Darwin Award candidate is this sad father-son story:

Comments from Texas State Report: "Shooter mistook his son for a javelina and shot his .22 cal. rifle. They were in a spot where they had seen javelina earlier in the day; son was wearing dark camouflage clothing; hunters were from Utah."

Where there are links to Texas Official Redneck Hunting Accident Reports

"Son, I didn't mean to shoot ya, ya looked like one of them hogs though. Kinda like that cartoon of Mohammed I seen not too long ago. We's from Utah, guess that had somethin' ta do wit it."

Regarding what was to be Cheney’s claim that he thought Whittington was a javelina: Fly-On-the-Wall advises that her monitoring of Cheney’s thoughts indicates that would have been a bald faced lie by a bald-headed man.
The fact is, Cheney was most likely intoxicated, if not with alcohol, then with the scent of death, the power to kill other beings.

Fly Bio

Regarding Cheney’s characterization of javelinas, which he does believe, apparently: Completely false. Well, except for the part about damaging lawns and sprinkler systems. Here’s what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says about them:

“Javelina have long held an undeserved reputation for ferocity. They have poor eyesight and will often remain around humans longer than other wildlife when startled. When cornered, they can defend themselves very effectively with sharp canine teeth or "tusks". Many dogs have been crippled or killed when trying to attack javelina. Yet aggressive encounters with humans are very, very rare. , javelina can be very troublesome to landowners when they become habituated to homes and human activities. They often sleep in caves, and cave like areas, and seem to find the crawl spaces under homes attractive. They may cause significant damage to yards and sprinkler systems because of their habit of rooting for food.”

As to what made Cheney almost use the "javelina excuse" see the previous post.

The story told by the "eyewitness" Katharine Armstrong still makes no sense, as noted in the previous post.

Bush Suggested Well-Known-I-Thought-It-Was-A-Wild-Hog-Texas-Hunting-Accident-Excuse to Whittington's Peppering by Cheney

Fly-On-the-Wall reports that during a "situation" conference between President Bush, Alberto "Gonzo" Gonzales, Dick Cheney, and a number of advisors, President Bush jokingly stated: "Heck, Dick, do what a most hunters do down in Texas when they shoot somebody, say you thought it was a javelina or a wild pig or somethin' like that."


Cheney responded angrily, "What the hell would I be doing going after wild hog with birdshot? That's pretty damn stupid. Katherine's already told people the story we agreed on anyway." Bush responded, "Yeah, well, the wild hog thing's as good as Katherine's story, if you ask me. No more dumbass stupid than what works for a lota fellas who shoot someone hunting back home."

Gonzales stated that he tended to agree that Katherine Armstrong's account was pretty shaky. Gonzales said it's tantamount to either an "invisible man defense" or "an admission that Dick shot somebody who was completely behind him."


"That'll hold water about as good as a leaky bucket," Gonzo said.




Cheney replied, "Shit, Alberto, they'll buy it from Katherine Armstrong. Hell of a lobbyist. Hell of a shot.
She could sell rubbers to Reverend Verle Smegma. One thing that woman has is great credibility."

Gonzo replied, "Well, Dick, I don't know. I think her story is worse than my testimony about why we need to keep the wiretaps secret. I told you they were gonna laugh at me. Here we go again. I've sketched out her statements. Okay, first Katherine Armstrong statement. and I quote: 'Whittington came up from behind the vice president and the other hunter and didn't signal them or indicate to them or announce himself.
The vice president didn't see him.' That one right there was in the papers."

"As you can see, this shows Katherine's statement graphically. Whittington is behind Dick who is pointing his gun in the opposite direction. Whitttington approaches from the rear, Dick wheels around 180 degrees and fires. The excuse? Whittington didn't call out. You don't have to call out when you are behind the guy who is about to shoot. The guy who is about to shoot is supposed to look first."
Bush chimed in, "Yeah, well that's just, like, your opinion, Berto."
"No, that's hunter's safety 101," Gonzales replied.

Gonzo went on: "Now, as to her second scenario. That one's even more ridiculous. The New York Times carried that version already and it's got Ambassador Willeford chiming in. And I quote: "Ms. Armstrong and Ms. Willeford said the accident was largely the fault of Mr. Whittington, who had reappeared alongside two of his hunting companions without giving proper warning. Mr. Cheney, who was carrying a 28-gauge shotgun, had already begun to fire and sprayed Mr. Whittington." I see a couple problems here Dick, George. First of all, people can't just disappear and reappear in real life. That's fantasy. Second of all, if he reappeared alongside two of his hunting companions, that implies that the companions were already apparent to Dick, so he would have been shooting towards them even if Mr. Whittington had not reappeared and had stayed invisible. I don't think this one works. Also, what does she mean "begun to fire and sprayed" him. Once you pull the trigger the gun fires. Before you pull the trigger the gun doesn't fire. There's no "beginning to fire" or starting to fire. There is only pre- and post-firing with a millisecond of "firing" per se where the hammer hits the primer. I don't think a 78-year-old is fast enought to intercept the pellets of a shotgun if he's not pretty much in the path when they are fired. In other words, even if you are going to go with the invisible Whittington version, "Dick fired when Whittington reappeared," not "Dick had begun to fire when Whittington reappeared" would be the more accurate version of this story. And that doesn't sound too good either.

So, here's my diagram of this one. I know, I labelled it scenario 3 even though there are only two and it's a little sloppy, but you get the point. On the left you've got Dick facing the two companions while Whittington is invisible. On the right, you've got Dick facing the two companions and the suddenly reappearing Whittington. This depicts what Armstrong and Willeford claimed happened in the New York Times version. In both parts of the diagram, the companions are in the field of fire from the beginning. This is not good. If the press thinks about this at all, it's gonna fall apart.
Cheney responded, "They won't think about it. Don't you realize that by now?"
Gonzo replied, "I'm actually thinking maybe we should go with the you thought he was a wild hog version. That's pretty tried and true down in Texas."

Rory notes: Many hunters in Texas do really stupid shit, much like Dick Cheney. These stupid actions are documented every year by the State of Texas. Quite regularly they were shooting at a hog or what they thought was a hog. The quotes that follow are from the official Texas annual reports.

Comments: Shooter mistook victim for a hog and shot his .243 cal. rifle. Bullet struck victim in right hand. Prevention: Always be absolutely sure of your target before raising your rifle; carry binoculars; attend a hunter education course.

Comments: Shooter mistook victim for a hog. Victim was riding an ATV and hunters were hunting at night and after a large hog at the time of the incident. Prevention: Always be absolutely sure of your target before raising your rifle; never hunt hogs at night unless you have adequate lighting; carry binoculars; attend a hunter education course.

Comments: Two shooters were shooting at running hogs with .22 rifles. Non-hunting companion stepped into the line of fire as shooters carelessly swung on game outside of a safe zone of fire. Bullet struck victim in buttock from about 3 feet away. Prevention: Always point muzzle in a safe direction; never move into the a hunter’s line of fire; always stay within a safe zone of fire; communicate with hunting companions; know where others are positioned at all times; never fire rifles at moving targets.

Comments: Shooter was standing on bumper of jeep firing at a hog with his rifle steadied on the top of the jeep. Victim was struck from bullet that ricocheted off the roll bar. Victim was sitting in front of jeep, in the line of fire. Prevention: Always point muzzle in a safe direction; never shoot from within or on a vehicle; never sit, stand, or walk within the line of fire.

Comments: Shooter was shooting a .22 cal. rifle at turtles in a stock pond. One of the bullets ricocheted and struck a nearby landowner who was fixing a tire on his tractor. Prevention: Always point firearm in a safe direction; never shoot a rifle/handgun at a flat hard surface such as water; obey the laws; attend a hunter education course; hunt under adult supervision; do not practice shooting at wildlife.

Comments: Shooter mistook victim for a coyote and shot his .220 Swift cal. rifle from over 100 yards away. Bullet struck victim in upper left leg. Hunters were in violation of several laws at the time of the incident. Prevention: Always be absolutely sure of your target before raising your rifle; carry binoculars; obey the laws; attend a hunter education course.

Comments: Shooter mistook his son for a javelina and shot his .22 cal. rifle. They were in a spot where they had seen javelina earlier in the day; son was wearing dark camouflage clothing; hunters were from Utah. Prevention: Always point the firearm in a safe direction; be absolutely sure of your target before raising the firearm to it; communicate with hunting companions; know where others are positioned at all times; wear blaze orange to be seen; attend a hunter education course.

Comments: Shooter carried loaded firearm in a boat with 3 hunters and a dog. Firearm discharged as dog walked on it. The bullet struck the victim in buttock. Prevention: Always point firearms in a safe direction; always unload and store firearms in case when transporting; control dogs around firearms and in blinds; never overload a boat.

Comments: While laughing, shooter pulled the trigger while shotgun muzzle was resting on his foot; apparently thinking it was not loaded. Prevention: Always point muzzle in a safe direction; treat every firearm as if it is loaded at all times; control the muzzle and use a proper carry at all times; obey the laws; attend a hunter education course; hunt with adult supervision; avoid horseplay.

Comments: Shooter swung on game outside of his safe zone of fire. Pellets struck victim in face as he was walking back to his vehicle. Shots were fired from three hunters shooting at quail over 40 yards away from the victim. It was unknown who specifically fired the shot as hunters all fired using the same loads. Prevention: Always point muzzle in a safe direction; always stay within a safe zone of fire; communicate with hunting companions; know where others are positioned at all times.

Well, those actual descriptions of hunting accidents that happened in Texas. This last one reads a lot like the description of Cheney's friendly fire incident will read, no doubt. Funny, this would seem to put at least a little bit of the responsibility on the shooter. There's that old be sure of your target before shooting thing. And then there's the point it in safe direction rule. Seems like Tortureman needs a little course in: